What is Therapy Dog Training?

Most people will answer you back with a “Huh?” when you tell them about therapy dogs. Therapy dogs are canines that service the disabled. They typically assist blind people perform their daily activities, and provide companionship and comfort to people in mental centers, hospitals and nursing homes. For some people, therapy dogs are “little angels” that give assistance to a community wherever and whenever needed. If you have a dog and want your pet to become a therapy dog, you should let him or her undergo therapy dog training.

Before you can enroll your dog to a therapy dog training class, you need first to teach your dog the basic obedience training. Teach your dog that barking, sniffing, jumping or growling is prohibited.Your dog must also be a well-behaved and friendly one.  He or she has to learn how to pay attention to make the training proceed more smoothly. Likewise, you also need to train your dog to feel at ease with strangers and not be overprotective around you.You can do this by walking your dog in different places where a lot of people are going like parks, markets, parades and other outdoor events.

When you feel that your dog is ready, you can now have your dog certified as a canine good citizen. Your dog needs to pass several tests like walking on a loose leash, and passing the physical exam. Afterwards, you can enroll your dog in therapy dog training classes. You can find one in your local shelter or you can also check the internet or the local pages for reputable therapy dog training classes.

Classes will entail teaching your dog how to ignore things like equipment, elevators and escalators, strange sounds and school noises. Your dog will also be taught to learn simple activities that will be useful to a person they will assist. Another thing is teaching them to crawl up on laps or on beds to be with their owners who can’t reach them if they are sprawled on the floor. In most cases though, therapy dog training mainly involves training dogs to assist people in need while walking or just simply being there to comfort them.